EL’S COLONEL ASKS FORTUNE FOR HIMSELF
EVERYONE knows that Elvis Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, sets the terms for Elvis’ deals and his terms are always high. “Los Angeles Times” columnist Joyce Haber reported last week that Hal Wallis wanted Parker, not Presley, to play Grady in Paramount’s “Norwood,” starring Glen Campbell and Nancy Sinatra.
Grady is described as “a fast-talking, hard-drinking small town con artist. He has his finger in every minor vice and a few major ones. Grady is the stereo-type Southerner (Texas). Every moviegoer sees him at a carnival selling kewpie dolls.”
The offer went out, and the answer came back “The Colonel has finally consented to play the part. He wants $350,000, if it doesn’t go over two weeks. If it should run only a day or two days, the price is the same. Plus 25 per cent of profits, dressing room and gas and oil (has own car).
“He wants to be off from Thursday afternoon until Monday as he has to go to Palm Springs. No billing problems – for an additional $25,000 you can leave his name off billing. If he is engaged for the job he will guarantee that he gets an Oscar nomination for his role. If he doesn’t get it, he will refund $50,000.”
Meanwhile, over at MGM reports say Elvis has been visiting the set of Dan Rowan and Dick Martin movie. They say he’s interested in doing a “Laugh-In.”
“We dig that,” chuckles Dan Rowan. “But we don’t dig Elvis’ salary.” Col Parker, who was also visiting MGM, made a counter-proposal to Dick Martin: “If Elvis was too expensive how, about a ‘Laugh-In’ appearance for his famous gold suit?”
NME, 1970